The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-17

o dawn TO those poor benighted DeingS'
md Notwithstanding the fact that
carcely decade has passed since that
vent took place change has been
wrought in their condition which seems
J .bsolutely marvellous. Wherever the
rading-posts of the American COM
,ancs have been established the native
louses have been replaced in a great
MEASURE by neat frame dwellings. In
ONE places the Aleut still clings to the
I'D style of habitation, but the addition
# windows, chimneys, and even stoves
las done much toward making them
iabtable. At Oonalaska, Belkopski.
It. Paul, and St. George, where are the
principal stations of the Alaska Com
nercial company, the native Aleuts
lave almost entirely changed from II
avage to civilized mode of living.
The principal food of the natives is
almon and Goldfish, which abound at
most of the settlements along the Aleu-
ian chain. For animal food, such as
,eef, pork, mutton, etc, they have no
elsh, but nothing is considered so
treat treat as good square meal of
whale meat. The air OF greasy con-
eminent which prevades an Aleutian
hllage a week or so after the capture
Il a whale leaves no room for doubt
hat whale rs an article of diet is high
appreciated. On account of the elias
ic nature of that portion OF the whale
which is used as food its consumption is
lot accomplished except after diligent
md noisy attention 10 the matter in
iand. | say ''in hand" advisedly;
perhaps it would be better to say in
10Th hands.
From the companys stores the ma
ives obtain flour, tea, sugar, butter,
lard bread, and a quantity of small
weet crackers. They are inordinately
ond of tea, and the samovar, a huge
,rass boiler, is kept simmering day and
light No Intoxicating liquors are al
owed either on the Aleutian islands or
anywhere else in Alaska The natives,
however, brew villainous decoctation
,alled gudSS, with the aid of sour dough
md sugar. In order to check this evil
he amount of flour and sugar which
native may purchase at time is limit.
I'd. Notwithstanding this precaution
he small supply is carefully husbanded
Until sufficient has been obtained to
make the much-prised beverage. As
10 still is required, and grass can be
manufactured in any receptacle from
lineup TO a barrel, il is hard, if not ut.
erly impossible, to entirely prevent
Is use.
The Aleut is social in his tendencies,
Ind like his prototype. the Japanese.
,e is exceedingly polite. However
poor his home may be, it is always
thrown open to strangers, and the best
10 has is at their service. In the most
miserable hut ever entered, away out
IN ore of the distant islands, a poor.
iecrepit old man got up from box,
which constituted the only seat in the
loom, and with a low bow, offered it to
me.
The influence of the Russian church,
Of which all the Aleuts are members,
has done much toward correcting the
abuses and bad example of the early
trading companies. Its management
is intrusted to priests of Aleutian ex.
traction, under the direct supervision
of Russian archpriest, whose resi-.
dence is at San Francisco. No other
form of religious belief would suit
these people so well as this. They are
devoted to the church, and firmly be-
heve that its influence is good. If the
service could be conducted in the Eng
lish instead of the Russian language 1t
would be much better as by that means
the Aleut would be compelled to learn
English, which at present he does not
understand, nor is he likely to except
at such settlements as st. Paul and St.
George. Some of the better class Of
Aleuts and creoles (members of priests
families) have visited San Francisco,
and l met two young ladies who had
been educated in that city, but as a
rule they decline to converse in any
thing but the Russian tongue. San
Francisco Chronicle.